Afghanistan War News Updates -- September 30, 2011

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Gary Volesky. center, talks to troops during a short break while out on patrol near Wanat Village in the Waygul Valley, Afghanistan, Sept. 22, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Zackary Root

Coalition Data Show Drop In Violence In Afghanistan; U.N. Report Says Otherwise -- Washington Post

KABUL — Let the battle of the war stats begin.

The U.S.-led coalition on Thursday released estimates of the violence in Afghanistan that painted a picture of improving security this summer, particularly in areas of the south where NATO has concentrated the bulk of its troops. The number of “enemy-initiated attacks” dropped 17 percent across the country from June to August compared with the same period last year, according to the NATO figures.

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More News On Afghanistan

UN, NATO At Odds Over Afghan Security -- Voice of America
Coalition: Afghan Insurgent Attacks Drop -- Time/AP
NATO says Afghan security situation improving -- Reuters
Afghan insurgent attacks falling, says US-led coalition -- DAWN
NATO says U.N. tally of Afghan violence uses different metrics -- CNN
UN: Violence Up About 40 Percent in Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Violent Clashes, Suicide Bombings Up 39 Percent in Afghanistan -- FOX News/AP

8 NATO troops die in Afghanistan during past 2 days -- CNN
NATO helicopter lands under fire in Afghanistan -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Combined Force Captures Two Taliban Leaders -- US Department of Defense
4 ISAF armymen killed in Afghanistan: news release -- Xinhuanet

Afghans Drop Three-Way Peace Bid -- Wall Street Journal
Afghanistan’s Leaders Sour on Pakistan and Peace Talks -- New York Times
Afghan elite questions future of peace talks -- Reuters

Iran’s hosting of Taliban reflects desire for greater role -- Washington Post
West stresses need to back Afghan government -- AFP

Afghanistan Has ‘World-Class’ Mineral Resources, U.S. Agency Says -- Bloomberg
Afghanistan Holds Enormous Bounty of Rare Earths, Minerals -- Scientific American
Afghanistan's Treasure Trove -- Discovery News

Hope for Afghanistan – with its new generation of law students -- Daniel Lewis, Christian Science Monitor
A decade on, hopes for Afghanistan peace are at rock bottom -- Ben Doherty, Sydney Morning Herald
Why the Haqqani Network needs the Afghan War to survive -- Michael Semple, CNN
10 myths about Afghanistan -- Jonathan Steele, The Guardian